I think I'm going to do this with eggs this winter. Don't know if this is the right section to post this.

[Sally PB]

I'm still wondering if I want one bad enough to buy it.

Pros:
preserve eggs, garden veg, fruit, meat in a way that doesn't take electricity to keep, after it's processed (unlike freezing). I've also read food retains more of the nutrients than dehydrating or canning.

Cons:
Cost to buy, cost to run, noise level

 

[HeritageFan]

I desperately want a freeze dryer but the harvest right ones run $8,000-$12,000 here. I guess the importer pays a lot to get them shipped over because that's definitely not how much they should be on the exchange rate difference. I don't want one as badly as $12k! No other alternatives I can find either. I'll stick to attempting to time early spring pullets to lay in time for winter!

Um. I have not yet gone to the next page to read the next part of the thread, but my medium freeze dryer from harvest right was about 2600$ shipped, with the vacuum pump, an impulse sealer, 50 mylar bags w 50 oxygen absorbers, an oil filter, extra oil, and excellent customer service.
I did have to have it shipped to my husband’s work, because we live in BFE (all steep gravel roads) and they need to deliver to a place where a big truck can deliver (and unload on pavement). But it was easy to unpack and toss in the truck to get it home.
The medium freeze dryer is about the size of a mini fridge. Not a lot more heavy, either.
Where did you get your quotes?
The pricing shown on their web site is no where close to what you are saying the cost is!

 

[Sally PB]

Um. I have not yet gone to the next page to read the next part of the thread, but my medium freeze dryer from harvest right was about 2600$ shipped, with the vacuum pump, an impulse sealer, 50 mylar bags w 50 oxygen absorbers, an oil filter, extra oil, and excellent customer service.

FatBlueCat lives in New Zealand, so shipping is a totally different issue than shipping in the US.

I did have to have it shipped to my husband’s work, because we live in BFE (all steep gravel roads) and they need to deliver to a place where a big truck can deliver (and unload on pavement). But it was easy to unpack and toss in the truck to get it home.

Yeah, I live in BFE too. I have expensive stuff delivered to where hubby sometimes works (owners are cool with that because they are awesome). Don't get me started on UPS or FedEx. I have invented new swear words to deal with them.

Freeze dryer won't be in this year's budget... but maybe next year...?